BURLINGTON — Vermont’s statewide energy-saving group Efficiency Vermont is launching a new effort to get homeowners to install solar hot water heaters.

The Burlington-based group is joining with the Shelburne-based firm Sunward Systems to promote installations that they say can save homeowners up to 80 percent of the cost of conventional hot water heating.

Efficiency Vermont, which often offers subsidy programs for efficiency installations around Vermont, says it will reduce the upfront cost of solar water heating systems by $1,600 for systems installed before November 30.

The Canadian-made systems collect heat from the sun and transmit it to hot water tanks inside the home.